I've fallen into a bad habit - rereading instead of editing

[NoahGrey]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum to post this in, feel free to move, if needed.

Last year I went through a huge spurt of writing where I woke every morning before work and wrote for a few hours and within just a few months I had brought a 40k story into existance. Lots of problems with it as it's a first draft, grammer and sentence structure. Areas that need flushing out. One chapter I wrote in a character and then two chapters later forgot all about them. lol Common things most likely for a first draft and inexperienced writer as myself.

I finished that first draft and started working on something else. Same world but new characters to bully around the world and see how they react. This time the draft was again around 40k words but the spirit of the story was more light hearted and the characters less tortured. I've yet to finish this draft as I don't quite know where to take them. Well, I know what direction I want the story to go in but not sure how to bring the pieces together as of yet. I'm not overly concerned about this as I know I'm learning and having a lot of fun doing it, to be honest.

The problem I find myself in now, is that each time I sit down to either draft to start working on a tentative second draft, I just end up reading the story instead of trying to edit. I thought editing would be the best part of writing for me as I've helped to edit many other people's writing (school stuff mainly) and had great fun doing it. My own work... Not so much.

How do I get my brain into second draft mode? I think about my world and story all the time. I'm constantly fleshing it out in my mind. The mythology of the world and scribbling down notes as I think of something "cool" to add in.

Any suggestions from those more experienced or knowledgable than myself?

 

[dollyt8]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum to post this in, feel free to move, if needed.

Last year I went through a huge spurt of writing where I woke every morning before work and wrote for a few hours and within just a few months I had brought a 40k story into existance. Lots of problems with it as it's a first draft, grammer and sentence structure. Areas that need flushing out. One chapter I wrote in a character and then two chapters later forgot all about them. lol Common things most likely for a first draft and inexperienced writer as myself.

I finished that first draft and started working on something else. Same world but new characters to bully around the world and see how they react. This time the draft was again around 40k words but the spirit of the story was more light hearted and the characters less tortured. I've yet to finish this draft as I don't quite know where to take them. Well, I know what direction I want the story to go in but not sure how to bring the pieces together as of yet. I'm not overly concerned about this as I know I'm learning and having a lot of fun doing it, to be honest.

The problem I find myself in now, is that each time I sit down to either draft to start working on a tentative second draft, I just end up reading the story instead of trying to edit. I thought editing would be the best part of writing for me as I've helped to edit many other people's writing (school stuff mainly) and had great fun doing it. My own work... Not so much.

How do I get my brain into second draft mode? I think about my world and story all the time. I'm constantly fleshing it out in my mind. The mythology of the world and scribbling down notes as I think of something "cool" to add in.

Any suggestions from those more experienced or knowledgable than myself?

If you figure this out, let me know lol I'm terrible at editing. I love the writing process and have put together 80k words in a month before, onyl to completely stall at chapter three in the editing process. I even enjoy re-reading; I just hate editing and fixing it.

Still, there are a couple things you can do, none of which I've been able to stick to myself. Set yourself a very light goal to edit 500 words per day and stick to it, or even less than that. For a 40k book, you'll be done in 80 days at that rate. The other thing you can do is go for low-hanging fruit edits first; fixing awkward wording or poor spelling and major plot holes before you get to makign it "awesome." And lastly if you need motivation to edit you can use a productivity app like Finch or something else that rewards you for completing daily goals that you can set for yourself. You can also set goals through Trackbear, or you can use KoalaQuill, which will pay you a very small amount for writing. In KoalaQuill though, you'll have to paste the section you want to edit into their editor, which doesn't have spell-check. It's good for motivation, but not so much quality.

 

[pmmg]

I am not clear on, is either of these 40K works, a completed work?

 

[Diana Silver]

What works for me is critique other people's work. People's fiction work, not school assignments. Get your critical goggles activated. It's easier to do when looking at someone else's work instead of your own. Then, once you're in that zone, direct the same critical eye to your own text.

 

[NoahGrey]

I am not clear on, is either of these 40K works, a completed work?

One is finished. The one I'm actively trying to edit. I sit down to the second story and try to finish/change but get distracted.

 

[pmmg]

I actually prefer the editing. To me, the writing is like creating a giant sketch, and the editing is like adding all the color.

I find, that editing and writing, are not the same, and occupy a different portion of my brain. Its like, when writing, I am in the working area of my brain, and when editing, I am just in the artistic part. The type of energy I have to conjure up for either is different. And so...to be in one mode, kind of means, I am not going to be in the other.

For this reason, I would not suggest trying to edit one while writing the other.

Editing, for me, is something that happens in many passes. The first one or two read throughs are for coarse adjustment. This is were I am looking for big issues, inconsistencies, making mental notes of what can be stronger, or what may be missing, pacing, and clarity. I am also looking to see if the themes are present and strong, and places I might enhance things or foreshadow better.

Typically, by the third pass, i am just looking for fine adjustment errors, bad commas, misspelling, weird spacing, capitalization... I tend to make a list of words while doing so that are ones that might need to be fixed everywhere, or researched to see if the usage is right. (Rein instead of Reigns, for horses )

Somewhere after the third pass, I might be looking for the 'And then some' stuff to really polish it up.

Its time consuming, and can sometimes take longer than actually writing it.

But...it is what it is.

Editing also comes after a process of having others read it.


From what you have written above, I would put the one to be edited out for feedback, and just keep writing the one you are making new. Come back after you have some comments about the craft and story.

 

[Incanus]

I am wondering: which aspect of editing is preventing you from doing the work? Is it the larger, story and character changes (such as the character you had forgotten you had added to the story), or the prose-polishing? Or both, perhaps?

For myself, right now I am in between having completed a rough draft (super thin and unreadable by anyone) and my first major revision of it. I'm doing a bit of prep work and decision making before I tackle it. Mostly I look forward to it and don't anticipate the issue you are currently working with.

Like pmmg above, I think I prefer editing to drafting. I feel like the hardest part is largely done, and now I get to fix issues and tinker with details.

While drafting my novel, I took a couple of breaks to edit some short stories and found I transitioned to that mode of writing fairly easily. You might just have to force yourself to do it at first, but perhaps it will get easier over time.

There's got to be some way to move ahead with this. Good luck!

 

[NoahGrey]

Thanks for all the replies. From reading through them, I feel like I must be blending my editing brain in with the creative portion as I sit down to work. I never considered I would have to compartmentalize those but it makes sense.

The creative portion where I just write the story as it comes to me is a great pleasure as it happens, most of the time. I can do this fairly easily and not be distracted by much pesky editing.

When editing, I will have to be focused and keep to my goals and not allow any "what if I do this instead" to get in the way of adding the neccessary flavor to the story.

 

[Dylan]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum to post this in, feel free to move, if needed.

Last year I went through a huge spurt of writing where I woke every morning before work and wrote for a few hours and within just a few months I had brought a 40k story into existance. Lots of problems with it as it's a first draft, grammer and sentence structure. Areas that need flushing out. One chapter I wrote in a character and then two chapters later forgot all about them. lol Common things most likely for a first draft and inexperienced writer as myself.

I finished that first draft and started working on something else. Same world but new characters to bully around the world and see how they react. This time the draft was again around 40k words but the spirit of the story was more light hearted and the characters less tortured. I've yet to finish this draft as I don't quite know where to take them. Well, I know what direction I want the story to go in but not sure how to bring the pieces together as of yet. I'm not overly concerned about this as I know I'm learning and having a lot of fun doing it, to be honest.

The problem I find myself in now, is that each time I sit down to either draft to start working on a tentative second draft, I just end up reading the story instead of trying to edit. I thought editing would be the best part of writing for me as I've helped to edit many other people's writing (school stuff mainly) and had great fun doing it. My own work... Not so much.

How do I get my brain into second draft mode? I think about my world and story all the time. I'm constantly fleshing it out in my mind. The mythology of the world and scribbling down notes as I think of something "cool" to add in.

Any suggestions from those more experienced or knowledgable than myself?

congrats on not one but *two* 40k drafts that’s a huge accomplishment! It sounds like you’ve built a rich world and characters you’re passionate about, which is half the battle. As for getting into second-draft mode, here’s a thought: maybe you’re stuck because you’re trying to edit the whole thing at once, and it feels overwhelming. Instead of diving into a full re-read, try breaking it into smaller chunks. Pick one chapter or even one scene and focus on rewriting or polishing just that. It’s less daunting, and you might find it easier to shift into “editor brain” when you’re not staring down the entire story.

Also, since you’re already daydreaming about the world and adding cool ideas, why not use that energy to guide your edits? For example, if you’ve thought of a new myth or detail, weave it into an existing chapter and see how it changes the tone or depth. Editing doesn’t have to be just fixing grammar, it can be about expanding and refining the story you love.

Lastly, give yourself permission to write badly in the second draft too. It’s still a draft, after all! Sometimes the pressure to “fix” everything can freeze you up. Just start somewhere, even if it’s messy, and trust that you’ll figure it out as you go. You’ve already proven you can create something amazing now it’s just about shaping it into what you want it to be

 

[Penpilot]

For me when I edit, I focus on one general thing at a time. I usually work from big picture down to the minutia.

The first editing pass after a first draft I do, I focus on plot and logic. I make sure I'm happy with the way things are unfolding in general and that it all makes sense. If I'm not happy or I come up with better ideas, I make the changes.

If things outside of this general scope come to mind, I may make those changes/additions too if they're small. If they're big changes/additions, I make a detailed note on the change and come back to it later.

Once I get the plot and logic down, I move on to character and world. I focus on these things specifically on this pass.

The last editing pass I make is for polish. Get the grammar right and smooth things out in terms of sentence structure and word choices, etc.

This is an iterative process. I jump around sometimes when it's called for. Sometimes a plot and logic element can't be executed until I adjust something with the character. A part of it is knowing what needs to be fixed now vs what can be fixed later.

For me the editing process is me rereading and making adjustments when the ducks don't line up.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Interesting to read how similar (from a distance) many editing process are

Like many others here, I enjoy editing. For me the trick is to focus on one thing at a time, keep a lot of notes as I go, and go through it multiple times. During all passes, except for the last, I keep track-changes turned on, so I can see what I've changed.

First, I read through the whole thing, pretty much like a reader would. I keep notes (mainly in a separate file) about everything I notice. Maybe I need to foreshadow a later event here, or this part feels slow, or the motivations of that character don't make sense. Just generic remarks.

At this stage I don't bother with line-level details. No spelling changes or grammar stuff. No worrying about sentence structure or character voices or anything like that. After all, if I decide I need to rip out a chapter and replace it with something else (it happens), then it doens't matter I fixed all the spelling issues in that chapter. No point to it. Of course, if something big leaps out at me, I change it, but that's not the point. First read through, I'm just an attentive reader taking notes.

After this, I go for a second read-through, which is actually the first real editing pass. I take my notes per chapter, read a chapter, and start making major changes. Maybe I need a character to be present in a scene, or maybe the character actually died 2 chapters earlier and can't be in the scene anymore. Maybe I need to replace large parts or just small bits. This is an editing pass, but again, it's not focussing on the line level stuff, just the bigger picture notes.

Next pass is the character voice and line level pass. If I have multiple POV's, then I make this pass per POV (so first going through all chapters of one character, then all chapters of the next character). During this pass, I try to make the character sound distinct and consistent. He has to sound the same in the first and last chapter (apart from in-story changes of course). I also focus on getting the wording right, and making sentences flow, and getting the grammar correct. This is usually the heaviest pass, and can result in a lot of red in the manuscript. As in, easily 10% all words can change This is a recent example:

After this pass, comes the last pass, which is going through the manuscript again, and accepting all changes I've made, as well as fixing smaller, last minute things I missed in the previous passes.

Doing it like this, you don't have to worry about just reading it instead of editing. The point of the first draft is to just read it. And by the time you've read it for the fourth time, your brain will be firmly in editing mode, since it already read the thing a handful of times.

 

[Fidel]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum to post this in, feel free to move, if needed.

Last year I went through a huge spurt of writing where I woke every morning before work and wrote for a few hours and within just a few months I had brought a 40k story into existance. Lots of problems with it as it's a first draft, grammer and sentence structure. Areas that need flushing out. One chapter I wrote in a character and then two chapters later forgot all about them. lol Common things most likely for a first draft and inexperienced writer as myself.

I finished that first draft and started working on something else. Same world but new characters to bully around the world and see how they react. This time the draft was again around 40k words but the spirit of the story was more light hearted and the characters less tortured. I've yet to finish this draft as I don't quite know where to take them. Well, I know what direction I want the story to go in but not sure how to bring the pieces together as of yet. I'm not overly concerned about this as I know I'm learning and having a lot of fun doing it, to be honest.

The problem I find myself in now, is that each time I sit down to either draft to start working on a tentative second draft, I just end up reading the story instead of trying to edit. I thought editing would be the best part of writing for me as I've helped to edit many other people's writing (school stuff mainly) and had great fun doing it. My own work... Not so much.

How do I get my brain into second draft mode? I think about my world and story all the time. I'm constantly fleshing it out in my mind. The mythology of the world and scribbling down notes as I think of something "cool" to add in.

Any suggestions from those more experienced or knowledgable than myself?

Editing your own work can be tough, it’s hard to switch from creator to critic. Try breaking it into smaller tasks: focus on one chapter or scene at a time. Use tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid for grammar and structure. Set specific goals, like “fix character X’s arc” or “tighten dialogue.”

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I get stuck like this all the time. Team Lowan writes what we like, so it's a bit easier than usual for us to get caught up reading rather than working. And I'm just an insufferable show-off, so you know I've already dug back two chapters to begin what I call the Accordion. I'll begin revisions and edits right there, a chapter pile at a time like a hungry little caterpillar. It helps us maintain a single narrative voice, even with speech patterns changing from character to character.

It's when I start moving words back and forth with no noticeable advantage that the other two take the manuscript away from me and I'm not allowed to touch it anymore.

 

[Chessie2]

UGH editing is the absolute worst! I'm currently editing an 80k novel and think, some others around here write longer ones. How many times can I read this book? It is a terrible writer reality.

 

[Stephen Baxter]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum to post this in, feel free to move, if needed.

Last year I went through a huge spurt of writing where I woke every morning before work and wrote for a few hours and within just a few months I had brought a 40k story into existance. Lots of problems with it as it's a first draft, grammer and sentence structure. Areas that need flushing out. One chapter I wrote in a character and then two chapters later forgot all about them. lol Common things most likely for a first draft and inexperienced writer as myself.

I finished that first draft and started working on something else. Same world but new characters to bully around the world and see how they react. This time the draft was again around 40k words but the spirit of the story was more light hearted and the characters less tortured. I've yet to finish this draft as I don't quite know where to take them. Well, I know what direction I want the story to go in but not sure how to bring the pieces together as of yet. I'm not overly concerned about this as I know I'm learning and having a lot of fun doing it, to be honest.

The problem I find myself in now, is that each time I sit down to either draft to start working on a tentative second draft, I just end up reading the story instead of trying to edit. I thought editing would be the best part of writing for me as I've helped to edit many other people's writing (school stuff mainly) and had great fun doing it. My own work... Not so much.

How do I get my brain into second draft mode? I think about my world and story all the time. I'm constantly fleshing it out in my mind. The mythology of the world and scribbling down notes as I think of something "cool" to add in.

Any suggestions from those more experienced or knowledgable than myself?

You're on the right track, writing consistently, building your world, and refining your ideas. Editing your own work is tough because you're too close to it. Take a break from the draft, then change how you read it, print it out, change the font, or read aloud.
When you return, edit with a purpose: one pass for structure, another for prose. Focus on what each scene accomplishes. Most of all, trust the process. Writing is rewriting, and every pass makes it stronger.